To improve platelet count, dietary and lifestyle changes can be effective. Key approaches include:
- Eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals essential for platelet production, such as vitamin B12, folate, vitamin C, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin K. These nutrients are found in foods like leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale), liver, eggs, meat, fish, beans, citrus fruits, papaya (especially papaya leaf extract), pomegranate, pumpkin, berries, and dairy products.
- Some natural supplements may also help increase platelet counts, including papaya leaf extract, bovine colostrum, chlorophyll-containing supplements (like chlorella), and melatonin, though more research is needed on their effectiveness and safety.
- Avoiding foods that might lower platelet count such as alcohol, cranberry juice, quinine (tonic water), and certain artificial sweeteners is recommended.
- Ensuring overall good nutrition with adequate protein intake and a balanced diet supports healthy blood cell formation including platelets.
Medical treatments like corticosteroids or platelet transfusions are options if platelet counts are dangerously low, but nutritional and lifestyle changes can be beneficial in many cases to naturally support platelet production.
In summary, improving platelet count naturally centers on consuming a nutrient-rich diet with particular emphasis on vitamins B12, C, folate, iron, and vitamin K, alongside some natural supplements and avoiding certain foods that can lower platelets.
